The Monster's Heart
by Yaruhi
Summary: When forced to move to Konoha,by her' brother, Mizuka takes part in the Chunin exams. It is there that she meets Garra. Everyone hates Garra because of his' monster. Will Mizuka follow the crowd? Or will she look beyond appearances and see the true Garra?
1. Prologue

Mizuka glared furiously up at her' older brother

Prologue

Mizuka glared furiously up at her' older brother. "What do you mean, we're moving?!" She screeched.

Haiko gave her' an exasperated look. "Exactly what I said. We're moving."

"Why?" Mizuka asked. "Why on earth would you want to leave here?"

He shrugged. "This place is nothing to me. Nothing ever happens her. In Konoha I'll be able to do what I want. I'll find adventure."

Mizuka couldn't believe what she was hearing. "Mother and Father were buried here less than a month ago and you're telling me that this place means nothing to you?" She yelled. "Well this place may not mean anything to you, but it means everything to me! And I don't want to leave." She said firmly.

"Well that's just to bad because you're coming with me whether you like it or not!" He retorted.

"You can't make me!" She said.

"Oh yeah?" Haiko stepped forward and grasped her by the wrist. "Just try me!" He hissed.

Mizuka was shocked. She had never been very close to her' older brother, (of course the fact that he was six years older than she might have something to do with that) But she couldn't believe that he would be so heartless as to force her to leave their' home follow him to some village that she had never been to in her' life just so that he could have a little adventure.

Haiko, at nineteen, had decided when their' parents died that he was fully in charge of Mizuka and that (without ever asking her' preference) he would make all decisions concerning her. He enjoyed being in charge and took every opportunity to boss Mizuka around.

Unfortunately Misuka and her' brother's personalities were miles apart. They disagreed about nearly everything.

Mizuka struggled to free her' self of her' brother's grasp. But it was useless. Haiko was much stronger than she was, and the more she struggled the tighter he held her.

"Look!" He growled. "Mother and Father are dead, which means I'm in charge, which means you have to do what I tell you." He smiled cruelly down at her. "Which means, little sis, that you have to came with me to Konoha whether you like it or not."

He let go of her' wrist and roughly flung her out of his' way. He strode to the door where he paused and turned back to her. "We'll be leaving tomorrow so I'd get your' packing done and your' goodbyes said if I were you." He gave a harsh laugh and left the house.

Mizuka stared after him as he disappeared into the darkness. She lay still where she had landed, not moving, for a full ten minutes.

When she finally recovered from shock, she got to her feet and brushed her' self off. _ He's going to force me to go with him regardless of what I want._ She thought. _I don't have a choice. I'll have to go with him._

She turned and walked down the hall to her' bedroom. Once inside she opened her' closet and began to pull out her' clothes.

It was two hours before she was through packing. _I'll say my' goodbyes tomorrow._ She decided.

After placing her' luggage beside her' bed, Mizuka decided to visit her' parents.

She grabbed her' cloak and, tying it around her' shoulders, she headed in the direction of the woods.

The woods were one of Mizuka's favorite places because they were quiet and peaceful and at the same time so full of life. Mizuka remembered how her' parents had loved the forest too; especially her' father, Ikachi Koshai. Everyone had always said that Mizuka was a lot like her' father. They had loved the same things, talked the same way, had much the same personality, and Mizuka certainly resembled her' father. With her jet-black hair, frosty, light green eyes and extremely fair skin, everyone could see that she was Koshai's daughter.

Mizuka reached the graveyard and stopped. Her' pulse raced as it always did when she saw the dreary, gray headstones and the mounds of earth that covered her' parent's bodies.

But now both her' father and her' mother were gone. She could no longer hear them laugh and talk. No longer could she go to them with her' problems. No more could she hear their' even breathing during the night and know that she was safe. They were gone, never to return, or so Haiko had told her.

Mizuka knelt and fingered the inscription engraved on the head stone.

"Forgive me father." She pleaded tearfully. "I tried to change Haiko's mind. But he's determined to go to Konoha, and I'll have to go with him."

She rose and turned to leave when she heard a sound behind her. Mizuka whirled about and peered into the underbrush. There it was again she had not imagined it. Mizuka was unsure as to what she should do. On one hand she knew that the smart idea would be to get out of there; but on the other hand, the adventuress part of her wanted to investigate and find out what was making that noise. She was still hesitating, when suddenly, out from the trees leapt a dog. Or at least she thought it was a dog, but as it approached it she thought is looked more like a cat (a very large cat). Suddenly the creature stepped into the clearing and the moonlight revealed the form of a leopard!

Mizuka gasped and took a step backwards. The leopard took a step forward. Mizuka backed up two more steps. The leopard followed. Mizuka backed up and tripped over a tree root. She braced her' self for the leopard's attack, but it never came. She opened eyes and found herself' staring up into the shining, yellow eyes of the leopard.

Mizuka froze as the leopard lowered its' head. But instead of biting her, it licked her' face.

Mizuka laughed in relief. She didn't understand it but some how the leopard seemed to want to play rather than attack. _Perhaps it is a sign that my' parents are not angry with me. _She thought._ Perhaps this is their' way of telling me everything will be alright._ It made sense, considering her' father's love of nature.

She reached up hesitantly and stroked the leopard's head. He made an odd, humming sort of noise and nuzzled her. She scratched between ears and he made the sound again. _He's purring!_ Mizuka realized. She burst out laughing. "He's purring!"

"What is that?!" Haiko exclaimed, his' eyes wide.

Mizuka looked up at him innocently. "Huh?"

Haiko pointed to the leopard that stood behind her, pawing the ground.

"Oh that." she shrugged. "Just a stray cat that followed me home."

"That's no cat, that's a leopard!"

Mizuka rolled her' eyes. "A leopard is a cat bucket brain."

Haiko glared at her. "You know what I mean."

Mizuka didn't answer.

The leopard took a step towards Haiko.

He turned white and backed up. "Keep that thing away from me!" he shouted at her.

Mizuka smirked. "Kunai! Here boy." She called. The leopard turned and walked back to her' side. She patted him on the head and smiled triumphantly at her' brother's shocked look.

"What's wrong Haiko?" she asked.

Haiko recovered himself and quickly changed the subject. "Kunai?" He asked in a disdainful voice. "Why would you call him that?"

She shrugged "I don't know. It just seemed to fit."

He rolled his' eyes in disgust. "Only you would think up a stupid name like that."

Mizuka ignored his' arrogant attitude. "What time will we be leaving tomorrow?" she asked.

"Ten o'clock sharp." Haiko replied as he stepped into his room. "And I expect you to be ready."

"We'll be ready."

Haiko paused and cast her a puzzled look over his' shoulder. "We?"

"Kunai and I." She explained.

Haiko rolled his' eyes and slammed the door.

Mizuka sighed and glanced down at Kunai. "Well," she said, "at least I'll have one friend in Konoha."


	2. Chunin Exams The First Test

Mizuka stood panting, along side her' teammates, Yosari and Zokai.

"Good work today everyone." Amaki sensei exclaimed.

Mizuka shook her' head. Amaki had been working them to the limit for the past few weeks.

It had been a little over three months since Mizuka had moved to Konoha. It had been decided that she would be a pupil of Amaki, a Jounin level ninja who, though tough on his' students, possessed a good sense of humor. A natural leader, Mizuka had quickly become the teams decision maker. Yosari and Zokai respected both her, and her' judgment.

Yosari looked up at their' sensei. "Um… Master Amaki?" He began. "Not to complain or anything, but why are you suddenly boosting our' workouts so that we're nearly dead by the time it's over?"

_My' sentiments exactly!_ Mizuka thought.

Master Amaki smiled slyly at the question. "Well, I guess this is as good a time as ever to tell you I guess.

The kids exchanged glances with one another. "What have you got up your' sleeve Master?" Mizuka asked suspiciously.

Amaki glanced at her' "You don't trust me eh Mizuka?"

She shrugged. "One has to be careful when dealing with you Master." She joked.

Amaki nodded. "That may be true." He agreed. "However, I think you will all enjoy this little surprise." He paused for effect. "I've recommended Cell 11 to participate in the chunin exams!"

There was a moment of shocked silence then, all at once Amaki found himself being bombarded with zillions of questions. "Whoa there!" He exclaimed. "Don't worry guys. You're all ready. If you weren't I would not have signed you up." He held up three pieces of paper. "Here are your' sign up sheets." He announced. "Fill them out and then report to the Exam building the day after tomorrow for the exams. The exams will be held on the third floor." He smiled. "Good luck!"

Mizuka took the papers and passed them out. "Come on guys." She exclaimed. "Let's go fill these things out!"

* * *

Mizuka led the way down the hall. It was the day of the chunin exams and she wasn't sure whether to feel excited or nervous. But she was confident in her' abilities and she knew that Amika Sensei would not have signed them up if he had thought they were not up to the challenge. They were still on the second floor when, turning a corner, they came upon a group of kids standing in the hallway.

One of them, a boy Mizuka recognized as the last surviving member of the Uchiha clan, was arguing with a couple of older kids who stood blacking the doorway.

"What the heck is going on?" Zokai asked. "Why is everyone standing around here? This isn't the right place. We're still on the second floor."

Mizuka nodded. "I know."

Suddenly the biggest boy mad a lunge for Uchiha. Uchiha's foot lashed out to deliver a hard kick. But before either of them could make a hit, a kid dressed in black appeared between them blocking both of their' attacks.

"The kid's got speed you've got to give him that." Yosari observed. "Whoa! Check out those eyebrows."

Mizuka didn't reply. She was already on her' way through the door.

They turned in their' sign up sheets, and were on their way to the room where the exams were to be held when Mizuka heard some thing that made her' pause.

She turned and walked down a side hallway, her' teammates at her' heals.

Upon reaching the end she saw two boys fighting. A third boy and a girl stood at the edge of the room watching. Mizuka recognized the first two boys as the Uchiha and the boy who had stopped the fight in the hallway; the one with the big eyebrows.

"What the heck is going on?" Yosari asked.

Mizuka shrugged. Although she was also curious, Mizuka was not one to go poking around in other' people's business.

Suddenly a big tortoise appeared out of nowhere, and began talking to the boy with the big eyebrows.

"What- where did that thing come from?" Zokai asked.

"Dude!" Yosari exclaimed. "Check it out! A talking turtle! I wonder what he wants with caterpillar brows. "

Mizuka rolled her' eyes. Yosari wasn't the smartest person in the world. She sometimes wondered if he even knew the meaning of the word tact. "It's no concern of ours'." She said firmly. "Besides, we have to get going or we're going to be late for the exams."

* * *

"Here it is." Mizuka announced five minutes later.

"Thank heavens. I thought we'd never find it!" Yosari exclaimed.

"Come on Mr. Melodramatic." Mizuka said. She opened the door and stepped into the room.

"Whoa!" Yosari gasped. "People!"

Mizuka was surprised too. She had known that Genin from all over would be taking part in the exams, but she hadn't expected this many. The room was completely packed, and you could hardly make out a thing that was being said for all the noise.

_No matter. _She thought. _With a group this size, they're bound to eliminate a lot of people. We'll just have to make certain that we aren't any of those people…_

She glanced around at some of the kids and tried to pick out ones that might be worth keeping an eye on. Looking around she saw a tall boy with long, dark hair and lavender eyes. _A Hyuga._ She thought._ He looks like he might be a powerful rival…_

Her' eyes left him and wandered to where three kids were standing. One of them, a girl with long, blond hair, was talking on and on to the two boys standing beside her. One of them was stuffing food into his' mouth while the other stood there seemingly ignoring the girl and looking half asleep. _They don't appear as though they will be any trouble…_

Her gaze swept the room once more this time coming to rest on a team standing in the far corner of the room. From the headbands they wore, Mizuka could see that they were from the village hidden in sand. There was a tall Genin who was dressed entirely in black. A large bundle leaned against the wall beside him. The second person was a girl. Her' hair was tied up into four spiky ponytails and she had a large fan strapped to her' back. Both of them looked pretty strong but what really drew Mizuka's attention to the group was the third member of the group. A boy with tousled red hair stood leaning against the wall, his arms crossed in front of his' chest, his' face hidden in shadows. Suddenly he looked up and she saw that his' eyes, which were ringed with dark circles and in that, resembled the eyes of a raccoon, were a startling ice blue. He didn't see her. He said something to his' teammates, both of whom nodded in agreement at his' words.

_Whoa!_ She thought._ He looks powerful!_ She watched him carefully._ There's something about him though… those eyes… I can't put my' finger on it but there is something strange about him._

She gazed at him a moment longer, then turned as a commotion broke out to her' right.

The ninja from the Village hidden in Sound were attacking a tall, white haired, ninja. The Konoha shinobi was able to deflect the initial attack. He fell into a fighting stance, then, without warning, he dropped to his' knees and threw up!

"Uh… what was that all about?" Yosari asked.

Mizuka's emerald eyes narrowed. She recalled having once heard that certain high-pitched notes could have such effects on humans. "The sound ninja must have used a series of high-pitched sounds which would have caused the Konoha Genin to become nauseous and throw up."

Zokai looked somewhat confused, and Yosari scratched his' head and said, "Um… Mizuka? I'm sorry but that isn't making any sense. Is there anyway you might translate that into something I could understand?"

Mizuka sighed. "It means that when a person hears a sound that is really, super high, it makes them dizzy and sick to their' stomach. Understand?"

"I get it well enough." Yosari replied.

She glance at him over her' shoulder. "Good."

Still looking at Yosari, she started to walk towards the front of the room where the orientation would be held.

_**WHAM!**_

Mizuka ran into someone, knocking them both to the ground.

"Oh! Sorry. I didn't mean…" her' voice trailed off as, raising her' eyes, she saw who it was she had run into. It was the red headed boy that she had been watching. His' slate blue eyes stared at coldly into her' own, green ones. His' gaze was unnerving and Mizuka felt a chill run down her' spine. He didn't move. He didn't say a single word. He simply sat there, glaring harshly at her. It took all of Mizuka's willpower just to hold his' gaze. She tried to look calm, but she could hardly breath.

After what seemed like ages, though in actuality it was only a few moments, the blond girl broke the silence. "Gaara?" she whispered hesitantly. "They're going to start the exams. We should go find a seat."

The boy, who apparently was called Gaara, did not say a word. He slowly got to his' feet, all the while maintaining eye contact with Mizuka.

Finally he turned away and Mizuka was able to breath again.

"Mizuka?" Yosari asked. "Are you okay?"

Mizuka swallowed convulsively and turned away from Gaara's retreating form. "Yeah." She replied shakily. "Yeah, I'm fine. Come on, let's go find a seat."

"A written test?!" There were startled exclamations from around the room.

The man at the front of the room nodded his' head. "That's right." He affirmed. "The first challenge in this year's exam will be a written test. These are the rules. Now pay attention because I'm only going to say this once. There are ten questions. You will begin with ten points. For every question you don't answer or answer incorrectly one point will be deducted from your' score. If all ten of your' points are deducted, you and your' entire team will be disqualified. To make certain that everyone is testing fairly, we have placed a number of Jounin shinobi around the room to watch that you are not cheating."

His' eyes narrowed. "Anyone caught cheating over five times will be disqualified along with the rest of your' team.The man looked at them with a piercing gaze. "Are there any questions?" He asked.

No one spoke.

He nodded. "Then you may begin."

Mizuka turned her' paper over and read the questions. _Why! These are nearly impossible to answer. _She thought. _I know the answer to only one of them my' self. _She glanced around and noted that she wasn't the only confused person in the room. As a matter of fact many of the people looked panic stricken. She saw Yosari cast her' a worried glance from across the room and in front of her Zokai was shaking his' head. _This is just too weird. How do they expect anyone to be able to reach Chunin level with questions like these? _Something was bothering Mizuka. The man had said that they would be disqualified only after they had been caught cheating five times. **Five times!** Why wait that long. Why not just disqualify them the moment they're caught?

Then it hit her. _Of course! I can't believe I didn't see it before. Everything points to it. The difficulty level of the questions, the way they made such a point of telling us that they would be watching us to make sure we're not cheating, everything about the way this test was set up. __**They want us to cheat!!**__ They want to see how well we can spy without being caught._

This figured out, Mizuka looked back down at the questions on her' paper, pretending to concentrate on them.

_I've got to find a way to find out the answers without getting caught…and not only that, but I also have to make sure that Zokai and Yosari are able to answer at least one a piece or else we'll all be disqualified._

She glance over at her' teammates. Zokai caught her' eye, and Mizuka knew that he too had figured out what they were supposed to do. But Yosari just sat there looking panicked.

No one had started answering questions yet and Mizuka realized that she would have to warn Yosari quickly, before everyone started "cheating".

She put one hand on her' forehead and pretended to be puzzling over a question. Very lightly, she began to tap her' pencil on the top of her' desk. _Tap…tap… tap, tap, tap… _She quickly tapped out a message. _It sure is a good thing that we came up with this code._ She thought.

A few desks down, Yosari started as he' realized what she was attempting to convey to him. He made three quick taps on the desk with his' pencil to let her know he understood.

_Good. _She thought. _One problem solved, two to go._ She glanced quickly around to make sure no one would notice, and then quickly folded her' hands into a sign under her' desk. "Self separation no jutsu." She whispered. (One of Mizuka's abilities was to form a sort of split personality, kind of like Sakura, but only when she wanted to. As a matter of fact, she could split her' self as many times as she wished.) She smiled slightly and, making a different sign she whispered, "Evacuation no jutsu!" and suddenly, her' counter part was standing outside her' body. Her' counter part was completely invisible, and so was able to walk down the Aisle between the desks and look at everyone's papers without anyone expecting a single thing!

Having acquired the correct answers, Mizuka returned to her' body and merged her' counterpart with her' original self. Then she proceeded to write down the answers on her' paper. The only answer she had been unable to get was the tenth, because the test forms stated that the final question would not be asked until forty minutes into the test.

_Now for the last problem. _She thought. Zokai had been able to cheat for the test answers on his' own. Yosari, on the other hand, would need some help if he was to pass the test. Mizuka concentrated on Yosari's right hand.

Yosari had been waiting for her' to give him the answers and so did not resist when he' felt Mizuka taking control of his' arm.

Mizuka mentally caused Yosari's hand to right down the correct answers on his' test sheet. Then she sat back and waited for the final question to be asked…

* * *

Gaara had long since finished answering his' questions, (by way of cheating, of course) and now sat waiting for the tenth question to be asked. As he' waited his' eyes scanned the room, studying the other shinobi.

After a while his' gaze came to rest upon a girl with long, jet-black hair and sparkling, dark, emerald-green eyes. _The girl who slammed into me earlier…_ He recalled. She had apparently completed her' test and now sat quietly, staring down at her' hands.

Without warning she looked up and there eyes locked. Gaara narrowed his' eyes, (He didn't like when people stared at him) and glared icily at her.

She gazed back at him defiantly, eyes flashing with determination.

Gaara was surprised. Most people hardly dared to acknowledge his' presence, and if they ever did chance to look into his' eyes, they dropped their' gaze immediately.

But she glared right back at him as if daring him to make her' stop.

He felt the anger rising within but checked himself instantly. It would not do to lose control now; he'd probably just end up getting himself disqualified. He turned away attempting to think of something else before he did anything that he might later regret.

* * *

The forty minutes were up and the man stood before them once again. "Before I ask you the last question, you must first decide whether or not you want to answer it."

Everyone stared at him wandering what the heck he was talking about.

"If you choose not to answer this question, you may leave now and take the exams next year." His eyes narrowed as he continued. "But if you should decide to attempt to answer the tenth question, and you fail… your' entire team will fail the exams and what's more, you and your' team will NEVER be allowed to enter the Chunin exams again!"

The silence that followed this declaration was deafening. Everyone just sat there stunned. Suddenly the room was filled with exclamations and protests as the Genin surfaced from their' state of shock.

The man held up his hand. "Those are the rules. If anyone wishes to wait and take the exam again next year, please speak now."

There was another long silence. Then, slowly people began to leave the room followed by their' teammates. Yosari shot Mizuka a worried look. She shook her' head and tapped out on her' desk: _You'll be fine._ Although she too was nervous, she didn't want Yosari to give up now. She cast a quick glance at the red haired boy, Gaara. He was sitting there with a calm- almost indifferent look on his' face. Mizuka squared her' shoulders in determination. If he could do it, then so could she!

* * *

Hi everyone!

Sorry it took me a little while

to get this chapter written.

I had a little writter's block.

But it's all cleared up now.

Hope you like it

Oh, and reviews are

greatly appreciated.

(No flames please.)


	3. In The Forest of Death

After several of the teams had left the room, the man at the front turned and said, "Anyone else?"

Suddenly an exceptionally loud voice was heard. Mizuka whirled to see a blond boy with cerulean blue eyes standing there. She recognized him as the other boy on the Uchiha's team. "I'm not going to give up! BELIEVE IT!…" The boy shouted at the top of his' lungs. Mizuka couldn't decide whether she admired the boy for his' spirit, or thought him a total idiot for standing there, screaming his' head off. The boy finished his tirade saying. "And I'll do just that, because that's my' shinobi way!"

Mizuka turned back to the man at the front, and thought she saw a glint of admiration in his' eyes.

"Very well…" He said slowly. "Is there anyone else who would like to leave?"

Silence…

"No?" The man smiled slightly. "In that case…" he announced. "Congratulations! You've all passed the first level of the Chunin exams!"

"_**WHAT??"**_ The room was filled with confused shouts and exclamations of surprise.

The man held up his' hand for silence. "That was a test to see if you were able to make tough decisions." He exclaimed. "We wanted to know if you were brave enough to follow through with something even at the cost of a high risk, should you fail…" He smiled. "Good choice. In my' opinion no one who is not willing to take some risks should be allowed the honor of calling themselves' a shinobi. As a shinobi you will have to be able to follow through no matter what the cost; and at times the cost will indeed be very great." As he spoke, the man reached up and remove the cloth that had- up till now- covered his' head. As his' head was revealed there came audible gasps from throughout the room. _The man's head was covered with scars and marks and deep gorges. He had been TORTURED!!_

Mizuka shivered at the sight. _How horrible!_ She thought._ I wonder if I would be able to stand going through something like that…_ Mizuka was not a coward, nor did she fear pain. She had always been certain that she would be willing to go through anything in the service of her' village. But now, looking at the man's scars, she couldn't help feeling a hint of doubt.

Suddenly a blinding flash filled the room! Mizuka and the others ducked instinctively. It was a good thing too. Several kunai flew threw the air missing them by mere centimeters.

When she was able to see clearly once again, Mizuka saw a woman with spiky, dark purple hair standing in a space that, moments ago had been empty.

Whispers of surprise circulated throughout the room. The woman's piercing gaze swept the room.

"So many?" she inquired turning to the man.

He simply nodded.

"Well you obviously were not hard enough on them. She shrugged indifferently. "No matter, I shall pair their' numbers down to more than half!"

Several gasps were heard. _More than half?_ That was an awful lot of people to eliminate. Mizuka felt a twinge of worry, but she instantly brushed it aside. This was definitely not the time to hit the panic button. _It's okay Mizuka._ _You just have to make sure that you and your' team are not part of that half. _She reminded her' self.

"Everyone follow me!" the woman instructed. She turned and marched swiftly out the door…

* * *

Mizuka stood with her' teammates staring into a dark, ominous looking forest.

"Wow." Yosari whispered in an awed voice. "That's sort of…creepy!"

Kunai hissed in distaste. (He had not been allowed inside during the first level of the Chunin exams.)

Mizuka didn't reply. Her' attention was focused on the woman with the purple hair.

The woman was standing over to the side with a couple of grown ups. They were whispering to one another. Then the woman stepped away from them and came to stand before the Chunin contestants.

"Welcome to the second test in the chunin exams. My name is Matarashi Anko." She gestured to the forest behind her'. "This is what we call The Forest of Death." She looked at them with her' sharp eyes. "This is a deadly place; danger lies in wait around every corner." She held up two scrolls. "You see these scrolls. One of them is an earth scroll, and one is a heaven scroll. Your' mission is to acquire one of each make it through the forest and two the meeting area within four days. There are only enough scrolls for half of you. Therefore, each team will be given one scroll. You must hunt down a team that possesses the scroll that you require and fight them to obtain it. At least half of you will fail, as you will either not return within the given time limit or you will not have obtained the needed scrolls." Her eyes narrowed and her' voice lowered ominously. "Several of you will not return at all."

"Please form a line to the tent." She gestured to a small tent to her' right. Everyone rushed to get in line.

When it was their' turn, Mizuka and her' teammates entered the tent. Inside, Anko stood behind a desk along with three other people. "Which of you wants to carry the scroll?" she inquired.

Mizuka volunteered, and the woman handed her' a scroll with the kanji for heaven inscribed on it. Mizuka concealed the scroll inside her' _hakama_.

"Good luck to you, cell 11." She said. The Genin nodded to her and, leaving the tent, went to stand before the door through which would enter the Forest of Death, and the second level of the Chunin exams.

* * *

"On your' mark. Get set. **GO!**"

The gates flew open and the shinobi rushed, eagerly inside.

After about two minutes, Mizuka called her' teammates to a halt. "Alright guys. You heard what she said. We've got to find the earth scroll and get to the next point within four days."

"But how will we know which team has the scroll we need as opposed to which team has a heaven scroll?" Zokai asked.

Mizuka turned to Yosari. "I need you to use your' Kazra to see which scroll each team has and which team member is carrying it."

Yosari nodded. His eyes, which were usually a pale gray, turned a startlingly bright teal color while his' pupils began to glow a bright white.

(The Kazra is a special ability that, like the Byukan and the Sharingan, is inherited through the possessor's clan. It is an odd sort of X-ray vision that allows people to see through darkness or anything solid.)

Mizuka nodded. "Good. I think it might be best if we sort of split up."

The guys shot her' confused looks.

"Not that we'll really be separated." She added quickly. "Yosari will be in the trees; Zokai will be under ground, and I will walk just like regular along with Kunai." She explained. "That way, if I'm spotted, we won't all be sitting targets. I've no doubt that we'll meet up with at least one team that wants our' scroll. Don't come out of hiding unless I signal you. It may be that I am able to fight them off my' self, and I'd rather we didn't reveal our' abilities any more than is absolutely necessary. We don't know what the Hokage has planned for the final level of the Chunin exams. Sound alright?"

The guys nodded and quickly slipped into hiding.

Mizuka waited a moment then began to make her' way through the forest. She tried to be as quiet as was humanly possible, for, though she was fairly confident in her' abilities, she knew that plenty of the contestants were also quite powerful, and she felt that it might be an asset to have the element of surprise on her' side.

For four hours cell 11 made their' way through the forest without coming across a single soul. Mizuka was starting to get slightly irritated. _I sure hope we find someone soon…_She thought. _We've got to find a team with an earth scroll, or else…_ her' thoughts came to an abrupt halt as Mizuka sensed three chakuras coming towards her'. She slipped behind a large boulder, Kunai at her' side. If this team didn't have an earth scroll, she would not attack; but if they did, she couldn't let them see her.

A moment later three Genin, a tall boy with dark brown hair, a short, blond girl, and a short, blond boy, (the two latter appeared to be twins) came walking through the forest.

Mizuka glanced up to where Yosari sat perched on a tree branch, his' Kazra activated. She saw him look first at the girl, (_So like him. _Mizuka thought) then at the dark haired boy. Finally his' gaze rested on the short, blond boy. Mizuka saw him smile and she knew that they had found their' quarry.

Yosari affirmed her' hypothesis by pointing directly to the blond boy, and mouthing the word _Earth_!

Leaving Kunai behind the boulder, Mizuka concealed her' self in a nearby tree and got ready to pounce. _Since I don't know their' abilities I guess I'll just start out with something simple._ She decided.

She counted_ one…two…three!_ She leapt from the branch, landing directly in front of the three shinobi.

The Genin were taken aback as Mizuka charged at the blond boy. The boy recovered instantly and jumped to the side, drawing three kunai from his' belt. Mizuka hurled five hundred needles at him, side stepping the three Kunai that came hurtling towards her.

The boy was able to deflect most of the needles and fell into a fighting stance. Mizuka did the same. Except for evading a few daggers, she didn't have to worry about the other two shinobi; Kunai, who had appeared from behind the boulder, (much to the dismay of the two Genin) was keeping them at bay for the moment.

The boy and Mizuka circled round and round, each attempting to figure out the other's weaknesses. Mizuka knew that she had the advantage. After all, she knew both which of them had the scroll and the whereabouts of his' teammates.

Almost faster than it took to blink, the boy charged at her' his' hands forming a sign. Mizuka reacted by jumping up, catching hold of a vine, and swinging up into a tree. And just in time, for as her' feet left the ground the area where she had been standing exploded.

Mizuka signaled Zokai to aid Kunai in subduing the other two Genin. He popped up from beneath the ground without warning and began to attack them.

Mizuka folded her' hands into a sign and quickly performed the 'self separation' and the 'evacuation' jutsus. But instead of separating into only two counter parts, Mizuka separated her' self into ten, separate parts. Her' original self remained inside her' body, while her' other (invisible) nine counter parts surrounded the boy. Mizuka jumped down from the branch, and landed about fifteen feet from the boy.

He eyed her' suspiciously. Mizuka did her' best to keep his' attention focused on her', while her' counterparts surrounded him.

Suddenly the boy felt him' self being arrested by some, unseen force. He struggled, but to no avail; held fast by eighteen, invisible hands.

Out of the corner of her' eye, Mizuka beheld the other two held tightly by Zokai, and Yosari.

Mizuka reached into the boy's pocket and fished out the scroll.

Then, nodding to Zokai and Yosari to follow her', she swung her' self up into a tree and disappeared from sight.

* * *

"_Yaaaahooooo!_" Yosari exclaimed excitedly. He pumped his' fist in the air. "We're number one man!" his' face was split into a moronic looking grin. "We made it!"

"Would you just shut up?!" Zokai exploded. "We haven't made it yet, you know!"

Mizuka and Yosari both shot him shocked looks. Zokai wasn't known for talking much, and he was definitely not known for losing all control and blowing up at his' teammates. He' was usually the mild, easygoing type.

Zokai noted their' surprise. "What?"

"He speaks!" Yosari whispered in wonderment. "Not only that; he yells!"

Zokai rolled his' eyes. "Even I get annoyed sometimes." He reminded them.

"So I see." Yosari murmured.

"What was that?!" Zokai asked.

"Nothing! Nothing at all." Yosari was quick to respond.

Mizuka rolled her' eyes. Yosari sure wasn't "the brightest bulb in the pack" as the saying goes. Fortunately he' made up for his' lack of brains with his' abilities. He' made a powerful ally.

She looked back at Zokai and could see that something was troubling him. _What is with Zokai? Is something wrong? And if there is, why doesn't he say something?_ Suddenly Zokai caught her' eye giving her an "I need to talk to you" look. A few moments later Mizuka and Zokai found the opportunity to talk when Yosari swung up into the trees to get a better view of what lay ahead. When he was out of sight, Mizuka turned to Zokai and said, "Okay, what the heck is going on?"

Shhhhh! Zokai put his' fingers to his' lips. "Something's wrong!" he whispered. "No- Don't look so serious! Look nonchalant! Laugh and smile like I'm telling you a joke or something." Mizuka was surprised but she complied, spreading a smile over her' face and giggling as though he had just said something completely hilarious.

"Zokai grinned back, looking delighted. "Now listen carefully before Yosari comes back. Someone is following us." He whispered. "I can sense it."

"How many people?" Mizuka asked.

At least five… maybe six; It's difficult to tell. But that isn't what has me worried. We can handle that if we have to."

"Is there something…unusual about them?"

"No, it has nothing to do with them. My' senses are picking up a strange presence. There is something dangerous in this forest. Something…" He paused. "Something nonhuman."

Mizuka shot him a weird look. "Of course there are nonhuman creatures in here. Were in a jungle!"

"No!" Zokai whispered fiercely. His' smile was still in place but his' eyes were dead serious. "There is something strange about this being. It is not normal Mizuka." His eyes narrowed and his' face grew grim. "It's like nothing I've ever encountered before. It's different and not in a good way!"

"Where is it?" she asked.

"That's one of the things that worries me." He said. "I can't pinpoint its' location. I can't even confine it to a general area. It seems to be coming from everywhere. Sometimes I think its' coming from one area, then I'm sure it's coming from the opposite direction. Sometimes I think it's really close, and then it seems to be radiating from somewhere far away. It's so strange. Usually, I can figure out what it is that I'm sensing; but this is something that is not a regular being. Its' chakura is just not normal. There's something…dark, even dangerous about it." He shook his' head. "I don't know. I didn't want to say anything around Yosari cause he'd freak out if he heard."

Mizuka nodded. She knew what he meant.

"I think we had better be on our' guard." Zokai warned.

"Don't worry." Zokai gave him a look that said she was ready. "I'll be on the look out for whatever this thing is. As for the people following us, Yosari should know about that. we might need his' help if they decide to attack."

"You're right." Zokai agreed. "I'll go tell-"

He was unable to finish his' sentence for at the same moment both of them sensed something coming at them at high speed from behind.

"Shuriken!" Mizuka exclaimed. The two of them jumped out of the way just in time. Thirty shuriken whizzed past them and embedded them selves in a tree three feet behind where they had previously stood.

Six masked ninja jumped out of the forest and surrounded them.

"Yosari!" Zokai yelled. "Get down here! We're being attacked!" Yosari appeared almost immediately, and charged two of the unknown shinobi.

Zokai was fighting a third, while a fourth was trying to ward off an enraged Kunai.

Mizuka Face the last two shinobi. One of them, apparently the leader, wore a pendant in the shape of a coiled snake around his' neck. He gestured to the other ninja to fight Mizuka.

As the ninja charged at her, Mizuka folded her' hands into an unusual sign. _"Earth softening technique no jutsu." _She whispered. Suddenly the charging ninja sank up to his' chest in the ground. He continued to sink farther and farther down until he disappeared completely below the surface of the earth.

She turned to the other Ninja, the one with the snake pendant, and prepared to fight him.

He formed a chain of intricate hand signs. A strange, bluish fog filled the air. It not only made it difficult to see, but Mizuka also found that she was having trouble hearing and breathing.

Suddenly Mizuka felt a flash of pain as shuriken began hitting her' from every which direction.

She growled, and raised one hand in a sign while holding the other over her' mouth to keep from inhaling the fog.

The fog swirled around her' as she began to manipulate large amounts of chakura.

"Elements transform no jutsu.!" she exclaimed.

She felt the ckakura leaving her' body and the smoke around her' instantly disappeared. Ten large boulders now swirled about Mizuka in place of the smoke.

Mizuka waved her' hand and sent the boulders flying at the enemy ninja.

He managed to evade all but one of them, the last hitting his' arm and cracking the ulna. The man let out a cry of pain. "How did you do that?" he gasped.

Mizuka smirked. "That's for me to know and you to wonder about." She retorted haughtily.

The man lunged at her, but with a broken arm, he didn't get very far. Mizuka stepped around him and grabbed him, twisting his good arm behind his' back.

The man struggled desperately. Mizuka drew her' kana and hit him over the head with the flat of the blade, knocking him out cold.

The man slumped to the ground and Mizuka turned to see her' teammates finishing off the rest of their' attacker's.

She called out to Kunai and the big cat came loping towards her. "Good boy." She praised him.

Yosari and Zokai joined her. "Now what?" Yosari asked.

"We continue to the meeting place." Mizuka told him. "I wonder if the final level will be very difficult. This exam has been a breeze so far."

Zokai and Yosari grinned at each other and turned to follow her towards the appointed meeting place the end of the second exam.

* * *

**Yay! I finally got this chapter posted! Isn't everyone happy?**

**Sorry it took me so long. I have been soooo busy lately.**

**Anyway, I hope you liked it.**

**As always, reveiws are greatly appreciated. (No flames please.)**

**Until next time,**

**Yaruhi over and out!**


	4. A Run In With Enemy Ninja

**Hey everyone!**

**Sorry it took me so long to get this Chappie posted. I'll try to hurry it up.**

**Enjoy!**

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Mizuka pulled the two scrolls from her' belt and looked at the chart that hung on the wall in front of her.

Zokai stepped forward and began to read the scroll. "There is a word missing here." He announced.

Yosari gestured to Mizuka. "Open the scrolls. Maybe they will provide the answer."

Mizuka handed the earth scroll to Zokai to open and she began to untie the string to the heaven scroll. Suddenly the scrolls began to glow. Mizuka's eyes widened. _A summoning seal!_

"Zokai! Drop the scroll!" She exclaimed, hastily throwing down her' own and backing away, pulling Yosari back with her.

Zokai instantly dropped his' scroll and jumped back.

_Boom!_

The smoke cleared and a tall man with a Hitai-ate that identified him as a Konoha shinobi stood in front of them. He had short, spiky brown hair, and gray eyes.

"Konichi wa." The man greeted them. "I am Hiroki. I was sent to inform you of the meaning of the scrolls you have obtained. Congratulations on finishing the second level of the Chunin exams!" He smiled. "You tied for the first team to finish."

Mizuka cocked her' head at him. "Which team tied with us?" She asked, though she felt that she already knew the answer.

"The team from Suna arrived at the same time you did." Hiroki replied.

Mizuka clenched her' teeth. _That boy again!_ She nodded. "What is with the scroll on the wall? Why is part of it missing?"

Hiroki pointed to the said scroll. "The missing word is supplied by the word in your' scroll. It is different for each person."

Yosari cocked his' head to the side in confusion. "Huh?"

Zokai and Mizuka exchanged knowing glances. _Typical Yosari._

"What I mean is, each person's personal needs and requirements are different than everybody else's. You for instance Might need to work on your' mental abilities, which is what the heaven scroll stands for. If that is so, then you should strive to obtain that ability through learning and careful studies. On the other hand, if you lack physical strength, then you should strive to obtain that strength through intense physical training." Hiroki explained. "Once you have accomplished this, no mission, no matter how hard, will be to difficult for you to overcome."

Zokai and Mizuka nodded. Yosari looked thoughtful, a rare expression for him. "I see…"

Hiroki nodded. "Good. Now that you understand that concept, we can continue on to the third level of the chunin exams."

With that, he snapped his' fingers and Mizuka and her' team found themselves in a large, open arena.

Gaara and his' team appeared at the other side of the room at the exact same moment.

Amaki sensei walked up to them. "Good to see you made it!" He exclaimed.

Yosari grinned. "We're ready for the next level!" He yelled, pumping his' fist enthusiastically in the air.

Mizuka and Zokai winced and covered their' ears at their teammate's earsplitting voice level.

Several more teams began to appear inside the arena. _I wonder how many made it through…_ Mizuka mused.

"You three are a day early." Amaki sensei told them. "You can leave the arena and do as you wish for the evening, but remember, you must be back here tomorrow by the time the second level of the exams end."

His' three pupils nodded. "Come on, I want to go take a nap!" Yosari exclaimed.

"Not now, I've got a few things to do." Zokai said.

"I think Kunai and I will take a walk." Mizuka told them as she stroked the said leopard behind the ears. "See you guys later."

* * *

Mizuka stood quietly on the bridge that stood on the outskirts of Konoha.

She loved it here at this time of day, when the sun was setting, the birds were quieting, and the sounds of night were beginning to fill the air.

She leaned comfortably against the wooden railing of the bridge and looked over the side into the rushing water that swirled angrily below.

Kunai purred and rubbed his' head against her' leg.

Mizuka smiled. "Hey boy." She cooed. "You did well today."

She could almost see him smiling. Sometimes it seemed to her that, although he could not talk, he could understand everything she said.

She sighed and looked back out over the rushing waters. "I wonder what they have in store for us tomorrow Kunai. Thus far it's been so easy- too easy in fact. I can't help but feel that there is something much more difficult in store for us."

She laughed and smiled down at Kunai. "Look at me. Talking to a leopard like you were some type of psychologist." She sighed. "I guess we'll all have to just wait and see what happens eh?"

Suddenly, a noise from behind startled Mizuka. She whirled about to see seven men in Ninja clothing standing before her.

She eyed them warily, one hand went to the hilt of one of her' Katanas which was strapped to her' belt while the other was obscured from their' vision behind her' back. "Who are you?" She demanded.

"That is something you need not know for the time being." One of the Ninja replied in silky voice.

Kunai gave a deep growl, and Mizuka's grip on her' katana tightened, but she did not draw it. "If you won't tell me who you are then why, pray tell, are you here?" She inquired.

"Why should I tell you?" The ninja retorted. He' grinned maliciously and drew his' shinobigatana.

Using her' concealed hand, Mizuka formed a sign and executed a transfer jutsu. She disappeared and reappeared behind the ninja. With her' other hand she swiftly drew one of the many small daggers strapped to her' belts and held the sharpened edge of its blade to the ninja's throat.

"Why should you tell me?" She hissed. "One: As I find my' self surrounded by your' friends, it appears that what ever you are up to has something to do with me, and when something concerns me, I like to know about it. Two: I see by your' outfits and the pendant you wear," she gestured to the coiled snake pendant that hung from his' neck, "that you are of the same group as the ninja that attacked myself and my' team earlier today. And three…" She pressed the edge of her' dagger harder against his' throat. "I'm curious and you would be wise to answer my' questions."

"Who the heck are you?" The ninja asked in a startled voice.

She smiled and tightened her' grip on the dagger threateningly. "I believe I just asked you that very same thing."

"None of your business!" The ninja snapped.

She lowered her' head and whispered smoothly in his' left ear. "On the contrary, _I _am the one with the dagger pressed to _your'_ throat, therefore I have the upper hand, and that means…"Her' voice became dangerously low. "…_**everything**_ is my' business!"

* * *

_**Gaara's POV:**_

Gaara leapt over the rooftops from house to house. He enjoyed being out, alone, at night. It was usually very peaceful at this time of day and it allowed him a moment of relaxation. He reached the roof of the last house in town and looked down at the view of the river. _What the heck…?_

Eight figures stood on the bridge below. Seven of them were men, and the eighth was a young girl. Gaara couldn't make out her' features in the dim light, but he saw that she held a dagger to one of the seven Ninja's throats. The other six stood tensely around the two with their' weapons drawn. They were being kept at bay only by, the dagger, which the girl held to the ninja's throat, and a large dog (at least he assumed that it was a dog, though it looked rather strange) that paced back and forth between the girl and her' "hostage", and the other six ninja, daring them to come any nearer.

The girl appeared to be speaking, though what she said, Gaara could not make out.

Suddenly, the Ninja with the dagger to his' throat did some sort of quick maneuver that caused the girl to release the dagger. It fell to the floor of the bridge with a loud clatter and the seven Ninja attacked. The dog (or whatever it was) leapt forward with an angry snarl. This movement gave the girl the time she needed to draw the two Katanas from their' sheathes on her' belt. She began to fight with a fury that matched (if not surpassed) that of a tigress defending her' young.

She could fight, that was certain. Every move she made was executed with grace, ease, and precision that are only attained as a result of many years of intense practice. Yes, she had skill. Gaara's eyes flicked back and forth as he watched her' cross swords with her' many attackers in a swift, but deadly dance.

"_**Hmmmm… That one has interesting chakura, no?"**_ Shukaka's voice spoke from within the back of his' mind.

"Hai… very interesting." Gaara murmered.

"_**If she wins, we must find out who she is." **_Shukaka urged.

"Will you be quiet?!" Gaara growled. "I'm trying to watch this."

Shukaka became silent and Gaara turned back to the scene below him. The unknown girl had cut down four of her' seven attackers. The remaining three circled her. The dog leapt forward and engaged one of the ninja in a fight for his' life.

The girl lunged at the two ninja with her' katanas. She managed to inflict a good-sized gash on one man's arm. She whirled around and stabbed the man in the abdomen. He fell to the ground. Then she swung back to face the last of her' opponents, the very man who she had originally threatened with the dagger.

"Say your' prayers girl." He hissed. "Cause you're going down!" (Note: Gaara is close enough to hear what is being said. He just doesn't recognize Mizuka because it is dark and she has her' hair pulled back into a ponytail, so her' silhouette appears to be a little different.)

The girl smirked. "Not on your' life! I'm going to enjoy this. She said evenly and in a tone that implied extreme confidence.

The man lunged and she gracefully sidestepped his' attack. But as he charged past her, she plunged her' katana deep into the man's side and he slumped to the ground, dead.

The girl cleaned her' katanas and slid them back into their' sheathes. Without turning she called out. "I know you are there. You can come out now."

Gaara jumped down from his' position on the rooftop.

The girls pet gave a deep throated growl. Gaara saw with surprise that the so-called "dog" was actually a leopard.

Still the girl did not turn around. "Sabaku no Gaara, am I correct?"

"Hn." He replied.

Silence…

"Who are you?" He finally inquired.

She turned slightly. "I assumed you had recognized me." When he did not reply she turned so that she was in full view of his' icy gaze.

She saw the flicker of recognition that appeared in his' blue eyes.

"You're that stupid girl that ran into me." He said.

Her' eyes narrowed. "It was an accident." She growled. "An accident does not make one stupid. Besides, I must have some intelligence in order to have tied with you as the first team to complete the second level of the chunin exams." Her' cocky smirk returned.

Gaara eyed her coldly. "Who are you?"

"Ikachi Mizuka." She replied just as frigidly.

They glared at one another for several minutes. "What have you thought of the Chunin exams thus far?" She asked abruptly.

"Easy. Too easy." Was his' only reply.

"Hai. As easy as the last two challenges were, I'm surprised that the other teams didn't finish sooner." She sighed. "I hope that the final level of this exam will pose a bit of a challenge. Don't you agree?"

He nodded.

She tossed her' head. "It's getting late, and I would like to get a few hours of rest." She looked him in the eye. "Until tomorrow, Sabaku no Gaara." With that she turned and disappeared into the darkness.

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**Well? What did you think?**

**I hope you liked it.**

**Reviews are greatly appreciated. (No flames please.)**

**Yaruhi**


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